Boston
by greysislove21
Summary: Meredith gets a job offer in Boston, and Derek is dating Rose. Could they still end up together? Based on the song Boston by Augustana
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story that I'm basing off the song Boston by Augustana. Hope you like it :)**

**Disclaimer - The show isn't mine, even though I wish it was. The song isn't mine either.**

Meredith was running. Again. She knew in the back of her mind that she should really try to stay here. It wasn't like she had a chance with him anymore – he was dating Rose, and he was happy. Wasn't he? It didn't matter. He wasn't hers anymore, as much as she wished he was deep down.

If it hadn't been for her stupid commitment issues, they could be together, building a house, getting married, starting a family. But just the thought of those ideas made Meredith panic. She would always have that voice in the back of her head telling her that she wasn't capable of doing those sorts of things. She just wasn't that kind of person.

Her first breakup with Derek hit her hard – really hard. She had never fallen for someone like she fell for him. She was in love, and she knew it. Still, that voice was proclaiming that something would definitely go wrong. But then, it had been a whisper. Something that Meredith could ignore because she was so undeniably happy. Then Addison came.

That's where the broken trust started, and it had never seemed to resolve since then. That's the moment when the barely-there whisper in her head became an ear shattering scream.

"Meredith, rely on your job, money. On anything but other people because all they do is crush you."

Maybe her mother had been right. Meredith couldn't seem to shake the thought that she could have wasted two years trying to be good enough for Derek when she should have just listened to her mother in the first place and taken the easy way out. That was the thought that made her feel uneasy. It gave her sleepless nights. If she shut everyone else out, would she be happy?

Now, Derek was dating Rose. Although she worked at the hospital, Meredith never really realized her before. Until there was a reason she needed to be recognized. She had stolen her McDreamy, her one true love. But the thing was, he wasn't really hers anymore, and that hurt Meredith the most.

Then, more problems arose when Meredith got an offer to get out of Seattle, leave this place forever. Leave the hospital behind, her friends behind, Derek behind. Massachusetts General had called her the other night; she got the voicemail when she was staring across Joe's at Derek and Rose holding hands. They explained that she had a lot of promise, so much potential. They had seen it through the clinical trial. The one she did with Derek. The hospital offered her an opportunity to visit, maybe even work there for a couple of days, to see if she would possibly be interested in transferring. Giving her the opportunity to leave her old life behind in exchange for an attempt to start a bright and shiny new one.

This could be her chance – her chance to really start over. She had tried, really tried, to move on and forget about him. Maybe not seeing him every day at work would finally give her the chance.

So here Meredith was, walking across the catwalk to the chief's office at Seattle Grace to ask him for a few days off. She would be extremely lucky if he gave them to her, considering she was merely a resident – but she had to hope, had to hold on to her chance.

Luckily, he was kind enough to give her five days off. He begged her to stay, to only leave if she thought it was for the right reasons. Getting away from Derek was a good enough reason, she thought. Meredith purchased a plane ticket to Boston, and already had a bag packed at home. She was anxious, ready for a new beginning.

Then she spotted Cristina across the hall. Meredith began to doubt herself. Was leaving to get away from Derek more important than staying with her person? Maybe. Maybe not.

"Hey Mer," Cristina exclaimed.

"Hey. I'm going to Boston for a couple of days. Mass Gen offered me a job so I'm going to check it out."

"I'm pretty sure you're going to get away from McDreamy."

"Cristina!"

"What? We both know it's true. Mer, I have no problem leaving if you like more there. But please stay if the only reason you want to go is to get away from him."

"Ok."

Meredith could see the worry in Cristina's eyes that they might lose each other. She smiled and said goodbye, told her she would see her in a few days.

"And if they have better surgeries there, tell me. Then I'll actually want to come with you," Cristina yelled to Meredith.

That comment made Meredith laugh. No matter how crappy her life was going, Cristina would always be there.

Just when she was about to walk out of the hospital, she heard someone yell her name. The voice was easily distinguishable. It belonged to the one person who she really didn't want to see, especially today. It belonged to the one person she truly loved.

"I have a patient for the clinical trial. Surgery's at noon."

"Actually, Doctor Shepherd, I'm off today. I'm leaving for Boston soon. Mass Gen offered me a job. I was just about to head to the airport."

"You're moving?"

"Why would you care?" Meredith knew she was being unreasonable. It was a simple question. It just bothered her that he would even ask. She was hoping to disappear quietly, go unnoticed while doing it. She really couldn't deal with this right now. She turned around and walked out of the hospital toward her car, leaving Derek standing there, dumbfounded.

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**Hope you liked it. Please review!**

**You can also check out my one shot about the season 6 finale if you want :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the positive reviews :) I hope you like this chapter!**

**Disclaimer - Still not mine...**

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Derek honestly didn't know what he should do. He felt like such an idiot now. He had let Meredith go so many times – he had made so many mistakes that forced her to want to leave.

He wasn't really trying to move on with Rose. She was basically just a distraction so that Meredith wasn't the only thing on his mind all the time. Now that he was thinking about it, it sounded really awful in his head. He was using her – being unfair to both of them. Since when did he become this guy, he asked himself. He had always been the courteous one, the one with the good manners, the kind one, even when he had a big ego. Then he fell in love with Meredith. He started being an asshole to all the women in his life - treating them unfairly and giving them chances when deep down he knew he should be with Meredith no matter what. He was certain he was in love with Meredith; she was the love of his life.

Then why was he with Rose? Why was he just standing here when he should be chasing her so that she would never leave again?

Derek took a deep breath – in and out. He knew what he had to do. Derek made his way to the fourth floor and walked quickly to the nurse's station. He hoped she was there. He couldn't waste anymore time when the love of his life could be getting on a plane for the opportunity to leave him forever. He really hoped she was there…yes.

"Rose, I need to talk to you."

She replied with some flirty remark. The stupid banter which they called the way to express their feelings for each other. He really had ignored it until now. It didn't matter – unless it was coming from Meredith.

Derek pulled Rose into an empty office. He looked at the clock. Every second that ticked by could be representing a lost chance if he didn't hurry.

"I'm just going to be totally and completely honest with you. And in advance, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but I just need to tell you the truth. I'm still in love with Meredith Grey. I'll be in love with her forever. Things are never going to work out between us. I'm really sorry."

Rose just stood there and smiled for a second. She had seen this coming from day one. She was going to try to take the high road, but that didn't make it hurt any less.

"Ok."

"Ok?"

"Yeah. I knew this was going to happen sooner or later. And because of the hospital gossip, I heard that Meredith had the chief's secretary check her in for her flight online. I'm pretty sure they said it was at eleven."

"Thank you. Bye, Rose."

"Goodbye Derek."

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Derek knew the chief was pissed off at him. He left the hospital when he had a surgery. An extremely important surgery that could make him a medical legend. But it didn't matter to him anymore. Running after Meredith mattered. Becoming her boyfriend again, and later a husband, and maybe even the father of her children was way more important to him than becoming someone who med students would read about in their textbooks.

He was driving down a highway, towards the airport. He really didn't have a lot of time left if Rose was telling the truth. He really wasn't sure if she was or not. She could have done it out of anger. But he had to believe that she was being the bigger person – taking the high road. He really hoped she was.

Once he got to the airport, Derek pulled into the closest parking spot that he could get to a terminal. Then, he started sprinting through the pouring rain to no particular destination. He had no idea where he was going. He just was holding on to that piece of hope that he could maybe catch a glimpse of the love of his life so he could make things better.

Derek waited in a short line in his soaking wet scrubs – he had no time to change at work – and finally purchased a ticket to Boston.

"Sir, you should probably hurry. The flight begins to board in about twenty minutes."

Ok, he could do this. It was a big airport, but he could find his way. It couldn't be any more confusing than the airports in New York, right?

Just as if he had jinxed himself, he got lost right after he made it through security. There was no way he had time to get to the plane. It was way too late. He thought he would just buy a coffee and go back to work, maybe even reschedule his surgery. She would come back though, wouldn't she? He had to hope even through all of his disappointment. Derek just stood in the middle of the airport and waited to think of his next move.

"Excuse me!"

Someone had almost just run into him. Probably just late for a flight. He couldn't blame them; he would be running into all these people too if he actually knew where he was going. But that voice had sounded really familiar. With the last bit of hope he had, Derek turned his head to see Meredith running to make her flight. It had to be her – her blonde hair was unmistakable and she was wearing that lavender sweater that she looked so good in.

Derek ran – sprinted as fast as he could after her. Knowing Mer, she was probably lost too, and he would venture to say that he would be the luckiest man alive if she missed her flight and they had to stay in the airport together. Maybe that would be enough time to convince her to take him back.

"Meredith!"

He caught her right before she was about to walk through the door to get on the plane. She turned around in shock and had almost dropped all of the clutter she was trying to hold onto.

Meredith saw him – Derek. This couldn't be happening…why was this happening?

"What are you doing here? And why are you soaking wet?"

Derek really hadn't believed that he was actually going to catch her. He didn't know what to say. He was so stupid. Had he made it all this way to just stare at her and watch her get on the plane to Boston?

"I ran through the rain because I need to talk to you." Stupid, he thought, you couldn't come up with anything better than that?

"I'm a little busy right now," she replied sarcastically. Why was he here?

"Meredith. I came here to tell you that I'm in love with you. I always have been in love with you. And you were in love with me too. You still might be, I think that you are. But I was really stupid and broke you trust when I didn't tell you about Addison. And then we got back together and I told you that I couldn't breathe for you. Then I betrayed you again by dating Rose when I told you that I would wait for you. But the thing is, I want to breathe for you. Every day of your life. Every day of our life together. And I don't even care about marriage or kids as long as I have you. Please don't leave because I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Meredith Grey. I love you. I'll love you forever."

"Derek…"

"Please don't go."

"That's the thing. I really don't want to go now. You come here and say all these wonderful things to me, and I want to believe you. I really do. But you always say stuff so I'll come back to you, and then you never want to follow up on those promises. And I do love you, Derek, I really do. But one week, you're telling me that you'll wait for me. The next, you tell me that you want to build a house, get married, and have kids, but you weren't sure if you could wait any longer. And now, you're telling me that all you need is me. I'm not sure what to believe. It messes with my head."

"Miss, you really need to board, the plane needs to get on the runway in five minutes," the man at the ticket counter said politely.

Meredith turned around to walk on the plane.

Derek was about to break down. Was this really happening?

"Meredith, please."

Meredith looked at him with tears in her eyes. She wanted this. Her sessions with Dr. Wyatt had gotten her ready, and now, looking into Derek's eyes, she wanted him to be her husband; she was wondering what their beautiful babies would look like. The ones with Derek's hair and her eyes. She had to stop thinking like that though. It was time to work. At least that's what the voice in her head was telling her.

"Derek," she looked into those deep, ocean blue eyes that were so uniquely his, "Mass Gen offered me a job, and I'm going to look. I need to get on this plane."

She turned her back completely to him and didn't look back as she walked on the plane. Meredith couldn't look back, or she might change her mind.

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**Hope you guys liked it...hopefully, I'll have the next chapter up by the weekend :)**

**Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to all who reviewed! I'm happy you guys like this story.**

**Disclaimer - Not mine. Also, I used an idea in one of the reviews in this chapter...thanks Lourdi! :)  
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After a flight that seemed to last days, Meredith landed in Boston. She knew this place pretty well – at least she did when she was a kid. People from the flight were still staring at her when they walked by. She probably looked like crap. She cried about Derek the entirety of the time. She still was crying a little, but couldn't seem to figure out why. He had been a complete ass to her so many times, and then, he speeds to the airport to try to sweep her off her feet before she leaves. If it were in a movie, Meredith might have even thought it was romantic. But this was real life; this was her life.

Since when had she become this girl? The one who would cry for hours on end about the one guy that she couldn't have. But now technically she could have him. Because he wanted her. He wanted her for a lifetime. Now, she was thinking it might be too late for their chance. She really wasn't sure if she could trust him again – she could try. But look where her trying to trust him had gotten them.

Thankfully, Meredith had today and tomorrow to spend to herself. The people at Mass Gen told her they would let her apartment hunt for a couple of days. Meredith wasn't in the mood to look for a new place, when all she would be thinking about is what she was leaving behind. Knowing her, she would probably sit in her hotel room all day, watching sad movies and bawling her eyes out, and order some room service. Because now, she was that girl. Still, that sounded like a pretty good day right now.

She had picked up her rental car and started to drive to her hotel. She tried to think about how pretty it was here and maybe getting tickets for a Red Sox game. They were playing the Yankees this weekend. Derek loved the Yankees…no matter what she would try to think about, her thoughts would always wander back to him.

When she got to the hotel, she threw her luggage on the bed. The place looked familiar, maybe one of the places she had a pointless one night stand. She really hoped that she didn't see anyone she knew from her wild days. That could be embarrassing.

Meredith grabbed her phone off the night stand to check her messages. There were five new voicemails. The first one was from Mass Gen, telling her they were very lucky that she was considering them, and they were excited for her to come. She didn't care anymore. Delete. The second was from Alex telling her that he was going to bring someone home tonight, and he didn't want her to mind. Delete. Third, Cristina was excited because Hahn had finally let her assist on a complicated procedure. It made Meredith laugh that she got these kinds of messages from Cristina almost daily. Delete. The fourth voicemail was from Izzie, asking where she was and if she was ok. She would have to call her later to tell her about her trip, but it didn't seem to matter now because she was already here. Delete. The last one was a voice that sounded sad. A voice that sounded disappointed. Meredith would have felt sorry for this person if she didn't already know who it was from.

"Hey Mer. It's Derek," there was a long pause. "I really don't know what to say to tell you how sorry I am. I love you, Mer, so much. I never want to lose you, and now I think I did. I hope you come back so we can talk. I know you're mad at me and don't trust me, and you have a right to. I've treated you like crap so many more times than I can remember. I wish I hadn't. Because maybe, then we could be happy together. All I want for you is to be happy. And if you like Boston then…"

The message got cut off. Meredith didn't know what to do in a situation like this. She should have never come here. It was a bad idea from the start – she was just running from her problems again. But she couldn't turn back now. She had to work for a few days, and then she would go back to Seattle when she was planning to. She started crying again. This was going to be a long five days.

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All Derek could do once Meredith left was to run to the nearest bathroom and cry. He was never a crier – he barely even cried when he was eleven, and his dad died. That incident taught him that life was way too short to waste any time. That's why he rushed into a marriage with Addison when he didn't get to know her as well as he should have. Maybe if he waited a little bit longer, he would have realized that their personalities just didn't blend well. And if he hadn't been married, he and Meredith would be in a very different point in their relationship right now. He wouldn't be sitting on a bathroom floor in an airport crying about her while she was traveling halfway across the country to get away from him.

But none of this was Addison's fault. It was all his fault, and he knew it. That's why the pain hurt so much worse, he told himself.

Derek decided that he should probably clean himself up and go back to work. He hoped he had an extra pair of scrubs there so that he wouldn't have to sit in his soaking wet ones all day.

It was still raining outside. Derek hadn't even noticed it before. Now, he acknowledged it, and the gloomy weather was simply adding to his depression.

Derek drove back to the hospital in a haze. This was bad – really, really bad. He probably would never be with her now. He had a chance – too many chances actually – and he constantly found a way to mess them all up. But he had to try, make an effort. He would make an effort to be with her for every day of the rest of his life. Derek picked up his cell phone and began to dial the familiar number.

The phone went straight to her voicemail. She was definitely still on her flight. "Hey Mer. It's Derek." He was so stupid. He didn't even have anything ready to say to her. "I really don't know what to say to tell you how sorry I am. I love you, Mer, so much. I never want to lose you, and now I think I did. I hope you come back so we can talk. I know you're mad at me and don't trust me, and you have a right to. I've treated you like crap so many more times than I can remember. I wish I hadn't. Because maybe, then we could be happy together. All I want for you is to be happy. And if you like Boston then…"

_You can stay there, but please don't leave me here without you. Please don't go. I love you._

But he got cut off by an automated voice, "Sorry. Your message is too long. If you have anything else to say, you should leave another message."

He sighed. He probably should try to bother her as little as possible for the next few days. She had a big decision to make, and he shouldn't be a distraction to her. Derek was sulking as he walked into the hospital. This was going to be a long five days.

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**A little bit of a filler...hope you liked it anyway!**

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hi! Sorry it took me a few days to update. I had a basketball tournament all weekend. Hope you all like this chapter :)**

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The day came for Meredith to start working at Mass Gen. The past couple of days, all she did was explore the city, trying to distract herself from the impossible obstacle right in front of her. Boston was nice. Definitely nicer than she expected. She genuinely liked it here. That fact was only adding to her problems.

All she could think about was the message that Derek had left for her. He obviously didn't get to finish what he had to say, considering that the phone cut off his call. But he hadn't even bothered to call back, to try again. Did that mean that he didn't care enough to finish what he had to say, or did it mean that he cared enough to leave her alone while she was in the midst of a gigantic decision? That's what kept her thinking.

Massachusetts General was a pleasant hospital. Meredith began to round on a few cases after their chief of surgery had showed her around the hospital. This workplace most certainly did not have nearly the amount of drama that Seattle Grace possessed. It seemed as though no one even really cared about each other beyond their professional ties. No one looked like they had made friends with their colleagues, and there was no tension between anyone romantically. That meant that if she moved to Boston, there would never be another Meredith and Cristina, or another Meredith and Derek. But maybe a drama free work environment would be better. It would give her more time to focus on work. But then, would she turn into her mother?

Meredith couldn't help to realize the parallels between her life and her mother's. Sleep with the married guy, then he chooses his wife over you, and now you're running to Boston. It was all so similar. Meredith couldn't stop thinking that maybe her mother hadn't been so cold before she ran to Boston. If she wasn't, maybe she would become the same way – the only thing she would even remotely care about would be her job.

But Meredith didn't want to end up like that. That couldn't be her life, not when she experienced the effects.

She was lost in her own thoughts when she heard a friendly voice that snapped her back to reality.

"You're Meredith Grey, right?"

"Yes," Meredith smiled, trying to act normal, like she wasn't broken, "I'm here from Seattle for the next few days to check out a job here."

"You're just the person I'm looking for."

Meredith looked at her questioningly. She was confused, really confused. She had known a lot of people from Boston while she was in college, but she couldn't seem to recognize this woman, but she did have familiar brown hair and striking blue eyes.

"Oh right. You don't know me. I'm Lauren Shepherd, and I'm pretty sure you dated my brother."

_Oh crap._

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Derek had basically buried himself in work since Meredith had left him alone that day at the airport. He couldn't stop picturing the look of sadness and pain on her face as she boarded the plane. But he was almost certain that he had seen a glimmer of hope in her eyes as well. At least he wished that was what he had seen.

This had been a long couple of days for him. They were filled with boring surgeries, the emptiness of being alone, and sleepless nights. He wondered how Meredith was feeling at this moment. Probably doing some intense surgery that she would never have the opportunity to do here in Seattle. Probably doing something that was luring her closer and closer to deciding to stay in Boston.

Being so alone made him realize all he had left behind by moving to Seattle. His friends, his practice, but especially his family. The only sister he ever talked to anymore was Lauren. She was closest to him growing up, being a year younger, and Derek was always extremely protective of her. She had decided to become a general surgeon and was completing her fellowship at Mass Gen.

Mass Gen. Lauren was at Mass Gen. He thought to himself how stupid he was for not noticing this undeniable fact until now. What would Lauren do if she saw Meredith? Derek told Lauren that Meredith's mother was the general surgeon legend, Ellis Grey. If Lauren even ran into a Meredith Grey from Seattle, she would definitely be smart enough to know that she was meeting the woman who Derek always talked about, the woman who made him happier than he ever had been in his life, the woman who was the love of his life. He should probably call Lauren to warn her.

The phone rang a few times before his sister frantically answered.

"Derek? Why are you calling me?"

"You're my sister. Can't I call to see how you're doing?" he replied sarcastically.

"Well, if you haven't realized, you don't really call that much anymore. It made me think that something might be wrong. You sound like you're hurt."

Derek sighed. His sister had always been able to read him so well.

"Meredith and I broke up. And no she got a job offering at Mass Gen, and she might leave Seattle forever."

"Meredith's in Boston?"

"Yeah. She left a couple days ago."

"Maybe I can find her and talk to her about you. What does she look like?"

"Lauren, I'm not telling you. The last thing that Meredith needs right now is you harassing her about me."

"Fine. I'll just have to ask around. I'll find her eventually. Don't worry; I won't say anything bad or embarrassing about you."

"What have you ever said about me that isn't bad or embarrassing?"

"Maybe I'll just tell her to stay in Boston. Hopefully, you'll have enough common sense to chase her, and you'll finally move back closer to home."

This comment made Derek feel bad. He was aware that his family missed him. After an entire lifetime of almost daily dinners and family gatherings, Derek had picked up his things and moved to Seattle with no warning, and he never bothered to call or see how his family was doing every once in a while. The only reason he came to Seattle was to escape from Addison. He never expected to meet the love of his life and become the best neurosurgeon on the west coast. But why was he staying in Seattle now? If Meredith left, nothing would matter anymore. His home was wherever she was.

"Lauren, please don't do anything to influence her decision. I just want her to choose what makes her happy."

"Wow."

"What?"

"You're really in love with this girl, aren't you?"

"Of course I am."

"Der, I could tell from the beginning that you loved her. The few times that you actually bothered to call me when you were dating her convinced me that you had never been happier. And now I can tell that you're more depressed that she's gone than when you found out that Addison had cheated on you. If I see Meredith, I won't say anything bad, trust me. I'll probably just tell her what I just told you. I'll make sure she knows how much you love her."

Derek was silent. His sister was so mature. She knew exactly how to deal with these kinds of things. He trusted that she wouldn't mess it up.

"Thanks, Lauren."

"No problem. Now, you should probably get some sleep. You sound like crap."

"Thanks, Lauren," he said in more fun-loving tone than before.

"Bye, Der."

"Bye, Lo."

"I told you not to call me that ever again!"

Derek just laughed and hung up the phone. He hadn't realized how much he missed his family until now.

But their absence didn't leave the same gaping hole in his heart that the emptiness seemed to carve when Meredith was gone.

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**Hope you liked it.**

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	5. Chapter 5

**So this chapter is a little bit shorter. I hope to have the next one up really soon. Hope you like this one :)**

**Disclaimer - Grey's isn't mine, no matter how much I wish it was.**

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_Oh crap._

Meredith had never even wanted to meet Derek's family when they were dating. And now that they had broken up, and Meredith was convinced that she would never have to do the "meet-the-in-laws" thing, that's when she finally runs into one of his sisters. This should be extremely awkward.

"Yeah I did date your brother," Meredith replied sheepishly. The last thing she needed was to give out too much personal information to this stranger.

"Yeah, you _did. _What made you both break up?"

"That's a little personal…"

"Oh come on. I'm his sister. If he did anything stupid, you should tell me so I can make fun of him about it for the rest of his life."

Meredith sighed. Lauren seemed nice and genuinely interested. And this was Derek's sister. She was most likely just as chatty as he was and wouldn't stop until she got her answer.

"Well, this isn't the first time we broke up."

"Yeah, I know. It's the second. You broke up when Addison came."

"How much do you already know?" Meredith questioned.

"Derek really doesn't talk to us that much. He called a few times when he was trying to work it out with Addison. I tried really hard to talk him out of it. They were never meant to be together. None of our family liked her except Nancy. But when I talk to Derek, I can tell that you and he are supposed to be together. You can hear in his voice how happy you make him, and how depressed he is when you're gone."

"We basically broke up because I couldn't commit," Meredith couldn't believe she was about to tell most of her romantic history to Derek's sister. "He wanted to get married and have kids, but I'm not ready. Well, I wasn't ready. I think I am now. But that's not the point. So anyway, I couldn't commit because I really didn't trust him anymore after Addison showed up. And the trust issues just kept getting worse when I drowned, and when he told me he couldn't wait for me, and when he started dating a nurse not even two hours after we broke up. I really didn't know what to do other than try to let him go."

"Well, if I was a complete outsider, I would say he was an ass and to run and never talk to him or see him again." Meredith laughed. "But I'm not. And I can tell that you're both really in love with each other. So I think that you should both have a long conversation about where you want to go with this relationship because you're meant to be together."

"Are you the shrink?" Meredith joked.

"No, that's Kathleen, but I think what she says rubs off on all of us a little," Lauren smiled.

"I think I'll talk to him when I get back."

"I think that would be a good idea."

Meredith's pager went off. "Bye, Lauren. Thanks."

"Bye, Meredith. Good luck."

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Derek was sitting in the cafeteria alone, eating lunch. He was skimming a medical journal, but was lost in his own thoughts.

"You look lonely," he could hear someone say jokingly behind him.

"Well, you obviously have no one to talk to if you're talking to me."

"Funny. What happened to the good old days when we were brothers and would have lunch together every day," Mark said. "I would talk about how many times I got laid that day, and you would talk about sports to avoid the subject of your terrible marriage."

"Yeah, we did that until you slept with my wife," Derek replied, but not angrily. He wasn't really mad about that anymore. He had to admit, he almost missed his best friend.

"Well, then you ended up with Meredith, who you say is the love of your life, so you shouldn't be complaining. How is the girlfriend doing by the way?"

"Mark, the only reason why you would ask about my personal life is because you're having trouble picking up random nurses."

"Hey! You can't make fun of me for that! I heard a rumor that you just broke up with a nurse so you don't get to talk."

"Yeah I broke up with her."

"And then how was the reunion between you and Meredith? Everything you imagined it would be?" Mark teased.

"She didn't take me back. And now she's in Boston because Mass Gen offered her a job."

"Wow, is that why you're so devastated?"

Derek just nodded. Mark smirked at him.

"How about tonight we go over to Joe's and pick up a couple of women so you can get over her," Mark suggested.

"Mark, this isn't like when we were in college, and I would be sad about breaking up with some girl I was seeing for two weeks. This is the love of my life, and I think I lost her."

Mark didn't know what to say to him. He looked so broken, like his whole world was crashing down.

"Is she coming back?"

"Maybe in a few days."

"Well, when she gets here, if you need any help winning her back, let me know. I'll think of a few ideas," he smiled.

"Thanks, Mark," Derek laughed.

"No problem," he patted him on the back. "See you, buddy."

Derek smiled. He might be getting his brother back. Now, only if he could get Meredith back.

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	6. Chapter 6

**So there's probably going to be only one or two more chapters and maybe an epilogue. We'll see!**

**Disclaimer - Grey's isn't mine :(**

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Meredith was lying in bed, wide awake, and it was a little after three in the morning. This would be her last day in Boston, and she knew what that meant. She had to make a decision. Boston or Seattle. Seattle or Boston. She kept trying to make think of the pros and cons of each city, but all her mind would wander back to would be Derek. She couldn't leave Seattle because of him. In a strange sense, that made her happy. That meant that she wouldn't have to leave her friends behind, or the fact that she had already established herself as a surgeon behind. But on the other hand, that voice in her head was yelling that she was being too dependent or needy. Meredith knew she couldn't listen to the advice of her mother now because she had learned that she and Derek would always find their way back to each other, whether she liked it or not.

But had she already lost Derek? For all she knew, he could still be with Rose or be going out on a hot date with a new girl. Maybe he had used his common sense and realized that Meredith could never trust him, so he moved on to someone who would. A lot could have happened her five days of absence from Seattle. If she had fallen in love with Derek in a split second, he could have fallen for someone else if he had five days. That was plenty of time.

However, Meredith convinced herself that she needed to stop thinking like this. When she got back, she needed to show him how much she really cared, how much she loved him. A romantic gesture or something. He would love that. She really needed to sweep him off his feet, tell him she was ready, and make him want to stay with her forever. But what?

Derek had found Mark at Joe's. They were constructing complex plans to have Meredith want to come back to Derek. They had to think of something romantic, but something that wouldn't make her run, that would make her want to stay forever. Derek had this idea in his head. Buy a huge diamond ring, take her out to the ferries, the place where they had their first real date, and propose to her. But he was almost certain that this idea would scare her into running away. It was too soon for her. But to him, it wasn't. He had a feeling that he wanted a future with her from the day he met her, and he had spent their whole relationship trying to convince her that that's what she wanted too. He knew that if he told Mark that, he would just give him crap about it, so he kept that idea to himself.

"What if you take her to a really fancy restaurant, and buy her flowers and chocolate and everything, and tell her how sorry you are. Girls love that stuff," Mark suggested.

"Yeah, well Meredith's not like most girls. She would probably think that was stupid and over-the-top."

"We could always just wait at baggage claim at the airport and kidnap her. Then, take her out to the trailer and tell her she can't leave until you're back together," Mark joked.

"That sounds like a good one!" Derek replied sarcastically. "Please try to be serious, Mark."

"Well, I think you could take her to that one Italian place that you like. It's not too casual or fancy. You could just have dinner and talk about everything. Try to sort everything out."

"That's not bad," Derek thought over this proposition. He could wait at her house until she got home from the airport and take her out to eat, considering she'd probably be starving after her long trip. "I think I should do that."

"See, man, I told you I would come up with something," Mark smirked. "No all you have to do is make her realize she can't live without you."

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	7. Chapter 7

**I really appreciate all the reviews! Thanks so much for your feedback :)**

**I hope you all like this chapter. Meredith finally comes back to Seattle.**

**Disclaimer - Shonda came up with it :)**

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Meredith was freaking out. She just landed in Seattle and was trying to think of a way to get Derek back. She knew he was being an ass towards her, but she wanted to forgive him anyway and become the couple that they were meant to be. She could do something to make him pay once they got back together – like a sex ban or something. He would hate that, she thought. But Meredith had to come up with a plan to make him hers forever. A plan that showed him that she wasn't scared of being married, having kids, or spending her life with him.

But she couldn't come up with anything. Whenever she would think about it, her brain would remind her that she wasn't ready for this and that she never would be. However, Meredith tried her best to block these thoughts. She could do this. She could do this. She had to convince herself.

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Derek was nervously sitting in his car outside a very familiar residence. He had everything planned out in his head. He would show up on the doorstep of her house, she would be surprised to see him, maybe even astonished that he came back for her. Then, he would explain that he would always come back for her. He would say that they really needed to talk, and he would tell her that their favorite restaurant would be the best place to do it. Hopefully, after a candle lit dinner of chicken parm and cheesecake, he would convince her to take him back and to spend their whole life together. Then, they could go out to the trailer and spend the night with each other.

But Derek's plan was most definitely not working out the way he had planned it. He had been sitting here for close to an hour, and still, Meredith hadn't shown up. Maybe she had decided to stay in Boston and wasn't even going to bother coming back because she would just have Cristina send her things to her. Maybe she had gotten into an accident in Boston, and she was lying in a hospital bed somewhere. Maybe she had just given up on him. He kept playing all the worst case scenarios out in his mind.

After another thirty minutes had passed, Derek felt like a stalker. What would Izzie do if she saw his car parked outside her house for two hours? Probably have Alex come out and beat him up. And he would probably deserve it.

Derek decided that he would just drive back to the trailer and admit defeat. He felt like he had lost Meredith Grey forever.

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After quickly picking up her things at baggage claim, Meredith started to head home. She hoped with all her soul that she would just see something that would inspire her, give her a clue on what she should do.

And just then, Meredith drove by a park. She was instantly drawn to the light that was radiating between the trees. She parked her car, and she ventured through the grass to see what these people were doing.

As she got closer, Meredith realized that these were a bunch of people, all holding a candle. She walked up to a pretty teenage girl and asked her what this group was doing so late at night. This was definitely out of the ordinary. If they were arsonists, she would need to call the police.

"We just finished our senior year of high school," said the girl with a widening grin plastered across her face. "We're celebrating by lighting candles. It's supposed to be symbolic or whatever. My friend said that the light is showing us the path for the future or some crap like that."

This girl reminded Meredith of herself in high school, without the pink hair and the black clothes. Meredith turned around and began to walk away. She realized how stupid it was that she was almost thirty, and she was so drawn to what some random teenagers were doing. But the candlelight gave her a certain feeling, a bright and shiny feeling.

She could see how it represented accomplishment. It showed a goal for the future, but also celebrated the past. All the good, bad, happiness, sadness, love, and relationships. Now, Meredith knew what she needed to do. She drove to a hardware store and walked proudly up to the salesman.

"By any chance, would you have a few hundred candles that I could buy?"

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	8. Chapter 8

**So this is the last chapter! Thank you all for your wonderful support in the writing of this story. I apologize that it's taken so long to update...I'm really busy with basketball.**

**Anyway, I really hope you like it :) It's basically the candle house scene, but with a different twist.**

**Disclaimer - I wish!**

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Meredith had just spent a couple hundred dollars on all these candles that were now sitting in the back of her car, and she was trying her best to stay calm. She could do this. She could do this. She could do this. She needed to convince herself before she chickened out, and it was too late.

She was certain that she wasn't scared because she was still unsure if she wanted to commit to Derek. Meredith was ready. But she couldn't help but wonder if he had decided that she wasn't worth waiting for any longer.

Meredith drove on the familiar path. Hopefully, he was still at the hospital so she could quickly make a rough blueprint of their house with the candles. Their dream house. The home they would be spending the rest of their lives in, maybe with their beautiful, mini McDreamy children.

However, that voice in the back of Meredith's head was instructing her not to get her hopes up because all Derek Shepherd ever does is break her. As much as she wanted to believe that this fact wasn't true, it kept creeping its way back into her head.

But Meredith Grey was done with doubting. Finished. She and Derek couldn't build a relationship on a lack of trust again because all it would only be set up for failure. She had to think bright and shiny thoughts.

When Meredith finally arrived in the woods, she took a sigh of relief when she noticed that Derek wasn't home yet. This is a good sign, she thought, as she strolled past the trailer to the land for the house. She began to light the candles, one by one, each symbolizing a memory that she and Derek had shared together. Whether good or bad, the act of reminiscing solidified the fact that she could never lose him. Meredith tried to come up with the best way to lay out their dream house. After what seemed like an eternity, she was finally done constructing the candle house. Now, all she had to do was wait for Derek.

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Derek could barely keep his thoughts straight as he drove through the woods, approaching his land. He probably should be paying more attention to the road since it was so late and dark outside, but that was one of the least of his worries.

What would his life be like if Meredith never came back? He would be so lonely. Derek was certain that he could never love another person again. Meredith Grey was it for him, and the thought of losing her made him sick to his stomach.

Derek safely reached his trailer. Tonight, he could drown his sorrows in alcohol. This usually wasn't a behavior of his, but he didn't have to go to work tomorrow, and he especially didn't want to face all of his undeniable problems.

As he reached the door to his trailer, bright lights seemed to catch his attention out of the corner of his eye.

He looked toward the bigger half of his land and saw a welcoming light. Derek was so drawn to the scene, mostly the silhouette, pacing in the middle. He couldn't help but hope that the love of his life was near him again.

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"Stupid, corny, idiotic! I cannot believe I did this. Stupid loser, son of a … I could be at home right now instead of…"

"Meredith," Derek smiled. He couldn't conceal his raw excitement in this moment. This was the moment he had been waiting for.

"Where have you been? I've been waiting for you! I've been waiting to tell you that I'm ready. I'm ready for the house, the marriage, the kids. I'm ready because I would do anything to be with you. So this is our kitchen, living room, and bathroom. And that's the room where the kids could play."

"Mer…where's our bedroom?"

"Shut up! I'm not done." He loved it when she was bossy.

"I'm still mad at you. And I don't know if I trust you, I want to trust you, but I don't know if I do. So, I'll try. I'll try to trust you because I believe that we can be extraordinary together, rather than ordinary apart. And I want us to be extraordinary and have everything we deserve. I want us to be happy and spend our lives together. I love you, Derek Shepherd, and I don't want to lose you."

Derek just stood where he was. He was frozen, couldn't move. Meredith had just made him the happiest man in the world. When he finally found his courage, he began to move toward her. He couldn't contain his happiness any longer as he pulled Meredith in for a passionate kiss, a kiss that he hoped would convey all that he was feeling in that moment, so she could experience it too.

As they pulled away, he looked in Meredith's beautiful eyes and said, "I love you too, Meredith Grey. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I know I've hurt you so many times that I can't even keep track of them all, and that is the thing I regret the most in my life. These few days without you, I have never felt so alone in my entire life. I couldn't breathe without you, you're my oxygen. You're the only reason I have to keep going in life. It would be the best thing that ever happened to me if you let me spend my life making up for all the things I've done wrong in our relationship. I want, no _need_, to spend every day I live with you. You make me the happiest man on earth, and I love you."

Meredith smiled at him. They both just stood there for a few minutes, basking in the sheer joy of the other's presence, until it started to rain. Meredith leaned into Derek, and they shared a quick kiss. She took a few steps away from him, and held her hand out. Derek followed her lead, and they ventured to the trailer, hand in hand. This was day one. The first day of the rest of their lives. And they had never been happier.

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**Also, I was thinking I might start writing sequel to this, so please let me know if I should continue or not. Thanks!**


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